AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR A BOUNCE HOUSE ACCIDENT?
Posted on Wednesday, July 26th, 2017 at 11:12 pm
Summer parties for kids mean having the latest and greatest attractions. From backyard birthday parties and end-of-school parties to Fourth of July celebrations and community get-togethers, kids love to see bounce houses. These giant inflatables come in all shapes, sizes, and themes from simply bounce houses to giant slides, huge obstacle course, and princess castles. You can find anything you want these days in a bounce house.
While these inflatable attractions can provide hours of enjoyment and pleasure, they can also cause serious accidents. Bounce house and inflatable accidents have been in the news lately throughout the country. Children have bene seriously injured and killed when these over-sized inflatables collapse, turn over, or fly through the air.
When an inflatable accident happens, who is responsible for the injuries? Is it the owner, operator, property owner, event coordinator, city government, a company, or the parents?
It can be difficult to determine, especially with the complex laws and rules governing the use of bounce houses. If you or your child has been injured, call (916) 999-9000 for a free appointment with an experienced Sacramento accident attorney. We can answer your questions and provide you with sound advice about your legal options to hold the party or parties responsible for your child’s injury accountable for their negligence.
The First Step in Determining Liability for a Bounce House Accident
When our attorneys began the independent investigation into how your child was injured in an inflatable accident, we want to answer several questions to help us determine liability. Questions we pursue include:
- How did the injury occur?
- Were there trained personnel supervising the inflatable?
- Who was the owner of the inflatable? Was that the same person as the operation and, if not, who was the operator?
- Who owned the property where the inflatable was being used?
- What person, company, or entity oversaw planning and coordinating the event?
- Was there a written contract between any of the parties?
- Did the inflatable have a defect? If so, who is responsible for that defect and did the defect cause the accident?
- What were the weather conditions at the time of the accident? Could those conditions have been anticipated?
- What was the condition of the ground where the inflatable was placed?
- Was the inflatable properly installed, secured, and operated?
- Were there too many people inside the inflatable at the time of the injury?
- Were safety guidelines in place and were those guidelines being followed?
Depending on the facts and circumstances, any number of the above element could be applicable in a bounce house accident case. Furthermore, there could be cases in which additional factors impact liability. It is vital to explore all avenues before deciding who to name in a claim for damages. Hire an attorney with experience gives you the best chance of recovering the maximum compensation you deserve for your claim.
Preventing Bounce House and Inflatable Accidents
To ensure the safety of adults and children, extreme caution must be used when planning, setting up, and operating an inflatable. Before you consider allowing your child to enter a bounce house or renting an inflatable for your next occasion, please do your research. Below are several resources to help you begin but we strongly encourage you to do additional research to keep everyone safe and happy.
- How safe are bounce houses for kids, really? (PBS News Hour)
- Tips and Advice for Safely Using a Bouncy House (Safety.com)
- Bounce Houses: Safety Information for Parents (HealthyChildren.org)
- American Bounce and Slide, Inc.
Call a Sacramento Accident Attorney For Help
The Sacramento accident attorneys of the Tiemann Law Firm can be reached by telephone at (916) 999-9000 or by visiting our website. Our law firm serves clients in Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills and other communities in the greater Sacramento area. Call for a free legal consultation.
